The present application includes an ILLUSTRATIVE FUNCTION LIST FOR SOFTWARE. The ILLUSTRATIVE FUNCTION LIST FOR SOFTWARE is provided in electronic format on duplicate copies of a CD-ROM marked xe2x80x9cCopy 1xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cCopy 2xe2x80x9d. The duplicate copies of the CD-ROM each contain a file entitled DNW-4725_ASCII_FORMAT.TXT created on Sep. 19, 2002 which is 254,858 bytes in size. The information on these duplicate CD-ROMs is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The invention relates, in general, to a method and system for managing a site on a computer network, and in particular, to a method and system for integrating site architecture, navigation, design, and management, for example, of a World Wide Web site on the Internet from a web server side.
In the past few years, corporations have been busy building their World Wide Web sites. While creating web pages is a relatively simple task, adding fresh content and managing a web site to ward off information obsolescence is not simple at all.
On the contrary, managing content on a busy World Wide Web site is an increasingly complex problem. As a web site grows, the likelihood of anyone being able to keep links, navigation, and functions updated is minuscule. This is not for lack of effort or resources, but rather because of the exponentially growing number of links and elements that need refreshing with every new addition. No amount of individual page redesign can make up for the basic need of a real structural fix. Unless preemptive steps are taken, maintenance will soon consume the lion""s share of all site resources. Costing between $250,000 and $500,000 annually, manually managing changes to a web site will drain even the deepest pockets. The magnitude of the cost is an important consideration for corporations, particularly because monetary returns from a web site cannot always be easily measured from an accounting standpoint.
Software solutions at the high end of the market include $50,000 to $100,000 middle-ware and software packages and may require equally expensive hardware configurations. As a result, such software programs serve only the corporate elite and the high-tech industry. Examples of such software solutions include StoryServer software produced by Vignette Corporation of Austin, Tex.
Software solutions at the low end of the market are hypertext markup language (HTML) editors with server plug-ins and software packages that try to emulate server functions from a user""s desktop. These solutions try to perform some management tasks, but cannot manage content. At best, they merely rearrange files on the web server from a remote desktop.
Applicants have recognized a need in the industry for an elegant, simple, powerful, and inexpensive content management tool. That is, Applicants have determined that corporations and other users need a platform-independent, server-side software package that allows users to design and manage simple web sites to complex, database-driven web sites.
Applicants have determined that it would be desirable to have a method and/or system that permits users to interface with a web management tool through, for example, an Internet browser without a client-side application, thereby eliminating the need for users to buy and master additional software. Applicants have recognized that such a system could advantageously reside, for example, at an Internet service provider to eliminate the cost of shrink-wrapping and to facilitate optional automatic on-line software upgrades.
It is, therefore, a feature and advantage of the instant invention to provide an elegant, simple, powerful, and inexpensive content management tool. That is, the instant invention advantageously includes an optionally platform-independent, server-side software package that allows users to design and manage simple web sites to complex, database-driven web sites. To this extent, it is a feature and advantage of the present invention to be employable from small web sites to the most complex database-driven corporate web sites featuring asset management, forums, chat rooms, virtual shopping carts, calculators, statistics reports, etc.
It is another feature and advantage of the instant invention to provide a method and/or system that permits users to interface with a web management tool through, for example, an Internet browser or other tool, thereby eliminating the need for users to buy and master additional software. By extension, it is a feature and advantage of the present invention to eliminate the need for a proprietary client-side application interface, thereby promoting platform independence. Further, it is a feature and advantage of the instant invention to be a server-side application usable with any major platform and with any server software.
It is further a feature and advantage of the instant invention to provide a system that can advantageously reside at, for example, an Internet service provider to eliminate the cost of shrink-wrapping and to facilitate optional automatic on-line software upgrades. Additionally, it is a feature and advantage of the instant invention to provide a method and/or system that allows a user to create and review changes to a web page directly on the World Wide Web and/or in real-time. A real-time change, within the scope of this invention, includes simultaneous, substantially simultaneous, contemporaneous, and/or substantially contemporaneous changes.
More specifically, the instant invention provides a web management system. The system includes a file system caching all web pages in a web site. The web pages so cached may be at least partially static. The system also includes a web server communicating with the file system.
The web site management system may optionally include a database having a directory structure associating each page or web page of a site or web site with attributes thereof. The system may optionally include a server-side front end daemon communicatable with the web server and the database. The server-side front end or other part of the system may identify the attributes of any user-changed page or web page and/or store the attributes of any user-changed page or web page in the database.
The web management system may further include a server-side back end daemon communicatable with the database and the file system. The back end daemon may parse the attributes to generate at least partially static web pages and may store the generated web pages in the file system.
The front end daemon may include at least one of the following components. An optional user manager may create a hierarchy of group access and/or user access to the pages or web pages and/or available editing options for the web pages. An asset manager may find, upload and/or organize one or more assets, each including a binary file. An optional page manager may create new web pages, modify existing web pages with available web page attributes, and/or tie the Web pages to web site architecture and navigation. An optional sub-directory navigation manager may display the web pages in a collapsible, indented, or tabular directory.
The front end daemon may include an optional forum manager that may create, attach, and/or manage at least one interactive posting environment. An optional help manager may create, modify, attach, and/or manage at least one local help link to a command or field name. An optional utilities manager may include one or more management utilities. An optional knowledge base manager may address user problems.
The front end daemon may include an optional preferences manager that may define site-wide configuration defaults, and/or apply a desired object to the entire web site. An optional object manager may create or modify a definition of an object and/or an instance of the object. An optional code table manager may create one or more code tables, in the database, each having at least one entry. The code table manager may be used to create and/or delete an entry. The above-mentioned directory structure may include one or more code tables. An optional error report manager may report any error in intended user changes to a requested web page.
In an alternative embodiment, the instant invention may provide another web site management system. The web management system may include a database having a directory structure associating each web page of a web site with attributes thereof.
In one version of this alternative embodiment, the system includes a web server for displaying each web page, and a server-side front end daemon communicatable with the web server and the database. The front end daemon may identify the attributes of any user-changed web page and stores the attributes of any user-changed web page in the database. The identification and/or the storage may be automatic or user-initiated.
In another version of this alternative embodiment, the system includes a file system caching all web pages in a web site. The web pages so cached may be at least partially static. The back end daemon may parse the attributes to generate partially static web pages and store the generated partially static web pages in the file system.
The front end daemon, according to the alternative embodiment, may include a user manager for creating a hierarchy of group access and/or user access to the web pages and/or available editing options for the web pages. The user manager may be capable of assigning one or more access specifications to one or more web pages in a web site.
The front end daemon may include an asset manager for finding, uploading, and/or organizing one or more assets, each including a binary file. Each binary file may include a text file, a graphical image, a video image, a data file and/or an audio file. The asset manager is capable of browsing existing assets in the web site, creating a new asset, creating a new asset folder, and/or listing, via an asset panel. All files contain an optional user-specified asset.
The front end daemon may include a page manager for creating new web pages, modifying existing web pages with available web page attributes, and/or tying the web pages to web site architecture and navigation. The page manager may be capable of listing, via a page panel, every web page in hierarchical order or other arrangement. The page manager may provide a form for updating content of a selected, listed web page, adding a new web page, viewing the selected, listed web page, deleting the selected, listed web page, and/or cloning the selected, listed web page.
The front end daemon may include a sub-directory navigation manager for displaying the web pages in one of a collapsible, indented, and tabular directory. The sub-directory navigation manager may be capable of creating a new sub-directory navigation template, and/or modifying an existing sub-directory navigation template. The sub-directory navigation manager may also be capable of switching between a previous sub-directory and a successive sub-directory navigation template, if more than one sub-directory navigation template exists. By the switch, all web pages having the previous sub-directory navigation template will have the successive sub-directory navigation template, and all web pages in a selected hierarchy and having the previous sub-directory navigation template will have the successive sub-directory navigation template.
The front end daemon may include an optional forum manager. The forum manager may create, attach and/or manage one or more interactive posting environments. The front end daemon may include an optional help manager.
The front end daemon may include an optional object manager for creating and/or modifying a definition of an object and/or an instance of the object. The object may include a global object applicable to an entire server, network and/or web site, a page-specific object applicable to a user-specified page, graphic and/or web page and a widget being user-designed and applicable to the entire site, network or web site and/or the user-specified page depending upon user determination.
The front end daemon may include an optional utilities manager. The utilities manager may include one or more management utilities. The web site management utility or utilities may include one or more of the following features. An optional calendar may be used to coordinate work and availability among a network, site and/or web site management team. An optional clone utility may clone a web page, a plurality of web pages, or an entire web site. An optional color calculator may aid a user in selecting a background color or a text color. An optional info utility may track version numbers of a web site configuration. An optional multiple edits command may transfer a single web page, more than one web page, or the entire web site into a text file downloadable to a word processor. An optional regenerate utility may regenerate the static web pages in the file system by user-initiation. An optional regenerate navigation utility may regenerate the directory structure of the web site. An optional upgrade administrative directory utility, periodically or aperiodically, upgrades existing managers or introduces new managers.
The front end daemon may include an optional knowledge base manager for addressing user problems. The knowledge base manager may include a listing of past user problems and solutions therefor, and/or a user-entry for posting a new problem.
The front end daemon may include an optional preferences manager for defining site-wide configuration defaults, and/or applying a desired object to the entire web site. The front end daemon may include an optional code table manager for creating one or more code tables, in said database, having at least one entry. The code table manager may create and/or define an entry. The above-mentioned directory structure may include one or more code tables. The front end daemon may also include an optional error report manager for reporting any error in intended user changes to a requested web page.
In another embodiment according to the instant invention, a method of managing a web site is provided The method may include the following sequential, non-sequential, or independent steps. All web pages in a web site caching in a file system. The cached web pages may be at least partially static. At least one web page of the cached web pages is read by a web server. The read web page by the web server via a web browser.
The inventive method may further include the following steps. Attributes of each web page may be identified. The attributes may be stored in a database having a directory structure associating each web page with the attributes thereof. The caching step may include parsing the identified attributes for each web page from the database.
The inventive method further include the following steps. Whether a user has requested attributes form may be determined. The attributes form, if requested, for editing the web page attributes may be submitted to the user. Whether the user has edited any attributes may be determined. Whether the user is authorized to change the attributes sought to be edited prior to said identifying step may be determined.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
It is another feature and advantage of the instant invention to provide a management system. The management system includes a file system storing static portions of substantially all data pages in a data site. The system also includes a server communicatably connected to the file system. The server retrieves the static portions of one or more data pages stored by the file system and transmits to a site user the static portions of one or more data pages.
Optionally, the management system further includes a data page generator generating the static portions of substantially all data pages based on the data site for storage in the file system. The management system further includes a dynamic data transmit device to transmit dynamic data to be cooperatively presented with the static portions as the at least one data page to the site user. Optionally, the data page generator generates the static portions of the substantially all data pages and provides corresponding indexes therewith. Optionally, the server transmits the static portions to the site user responsive to the corresponding index associated with the at least one data page.
It is another feature and advantage of the instant invention to provide a method of managing a data site having the following sequential, non-sequential, or independent steps. Static portions of substantially all data pages in a data site, are stored using a file system. The static portions of at least one data page stored by the file system, are retrieved using a server communicatably connected to the file system. The static portions of the at least one data page, are transmitted to a site user using the server.
Optionally, the static portions of the substantially all data pages based on the data site for storage in the file system, are generated using a data page generator. Optionally, dynamic data to be cooperatively presented with the static portions as the at least one data page to the site user, are transmitted using a dynamic data transmit device. Optionally, the data page generator generates the static portions of the substantially all data pages and provides corresponding indexes therewith. Optionally, the server transmits the static portions to the site user responsive to the corresponding index associated with the at least one data page.
The detailed descriptions which follow may be presented in terms of program procedures executed on a computer or network of computers. These procedural descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art.
A procedure is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. These steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared and otherwise manipulated. It proves convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. It should be noted, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities.
Further, the manipulations performed are often referred to in terms, such as adding or comparing, which are commonly associated with mental operations performed by a human operator. No such capability of a human operator is necessary, or desirable in most cases, in any of the operations described herein which form part of the present invention; the operations are machine operations. Useful machines for performing the operation of the present invention include general purpose digital computers or similar devices.